A timely bit of trivia....many many many entries for the crusades come in on the last day. The end of the month is always a busy time for me as I try to keep the link list updated with posts as they arrive, plus I would be finishing up preparing the next crusade. As I wrote above, I am not critical of procrastination. In fact, did you read THIS on my main blog? "Ode to the 11th Hour", posted on 11/11/11.

It's not about WHEN you get it done, but that you DO it. I will be leaving this blog open while I'm on hiatus so if you take on a previous challenge just let me know and I will add your name to the appropriate link list.

Thank you for entering names for the Best Commenter title. Keep them coming! You can nominate and vote as often as you like. Visit the previous post "Please Vote" to enter your selections and to read the kind things that have been said about our fellow crusaders.

Don't you agree that receiving comments from your crusade posts really makes the effort worthwhile? We have a great team of players who share their interpretations of the challenge but then spend alot of time tracking the other crusaders to leave kind words of encouragement. It's nice to know there is a community of fellow artists who are trying out the same things you are which makes their comments an even more important part of the process. It's the next best thing to gathering around a table and working together.

I love hearing that many friendships have been formed through this platform. That only happens when we reach out with our words. There are several crusaders who are vigilant and constant with their support. There are some who comment even when they don't participate. Let's give a shout out to our favorite commenters!

In the comment section below, nominate a crusader who you think deserves the title Best Commenter. You can give a reason why you are shining the light on them or just get their name out there. As you reflect on comments received on your own site, give a thought to how much you appreciate getting them, and never forget to be a good commenter yourself. It isn't about being eloquent, or articulate, or funny - althought all that is great, it's about waving your hand and saying "I was here, you did a good job". In general, I think leaving comments has become a lost art, so to speak. I notice everywhere that comments are less. I consider that missed opportunities. Connections are not made. Commenting is to be applauded!

In a week a will print up the nominations and votes, and we will have another random drawing, a Top Hat Pick. Each time I see a nominated name I will add a slip into the hat. Once a Crusader is nominated you can add your vote and I will add another slip into the hat. The more votes a crusader gets the more chances they have to win.

Did you know? The first 29 of 61 crusades had prize packages offered for the Top Hat Pick? It ended up being too much for me as this is an unsponsored venue so I gave up that part. It was so touching to receive so many comments in support of my decision. In fact, commenting has been a huge part of the crusades. Hint: Stay tuned to my next post.....

Crusade No. 8 ~ Cheap Tricks (May 2007) was one of my favorite of the early crusades. It was such a blast to see what non-art materials you use to assist your creativity. I shared the guitar picks above, to use a page tabs. It was the first time we broke 40 for participation. HCIT?

So far we have met 472 crusaders as participants on the team. Of these, I have met only 26 in real life. I have made some truly special friends because of this platform. Some I may still meet, and some I may never get to see, but that doesn't diminish the value of the friendship. I have always said, the street team has allowed us to connect with people we might not have otherwise met.

It's true that I wouldn't recognize some of you in passing since you don't share your likeness on your site. In fact, Crusade No. 58 ~ Girls on Film, where we were to share photos of ourselves, and take the opportunity to get in front of the camera instead of always being the photographer, clocked in the record low for participation with only nine links (which included me). Your faces may not trigger recognition, but your art, your style, your online persona, your perspective shared through words and visuals, have become something I CAN recognize.

The final numbers for Crusade No. 61, and therefore the grand total, will be determined after April 1st. The first 60 crusades provided us with 2303 links to visit. That's alot of sharing! Some crusaders popped in for only one challenge, but many of you stuck around for ten or more. I will post the top participants soon. Here's what I love: there have been numerous instances when a crusader posted more than one link for a single crusade. That means they tried something that resonated with them and they had to have another go at it. Nothing beats enthusiasm!

As we approach the hiatus for the crusades I will be posting some trivia. I will share some details during March and will wrap up the statistics after the current crusade concludes. It's been fun to review all that has transpired with this team blog. First up, some numbers....check it out. I loved recognizing that there were 26 entries for Crusade No. 26, and 38 entries for Crusade No. 38!

For each crusade there are two sets of numbers. One is the number of entries, and one is the number of participants. In some cases, the numbers are the same. However, when a participant offers more than one instance of meeting the challenge there are additional entries.

Thank you crusaders – those of you who came to play last month, and those who have left comments and sent emails about the suspension of the street team activity. I will talk about that later but for now let’s offer a high five to the participants. An additional round of high fives goes to all who visited the links and left words of encouragement. When we go out on a limb to share our perspective and our work we are validated in our efforts by having an audience and a community who embrace us.

This month I challenge you to restrain yourself. Create a journal page that has minimal elements, less clutter, and more breathing room. I’m not saying that less is better than more; I’m simply asking you to try it. As we know, there are no rules when it comes to visual journaling. We might have a formula for constructing a page or we may mix it up and free-wheel through the process - sometimes busy, sometimes not-so-busy. What got me thinking about this as a challenge is a comment I got many months ago about I page I presented with a lot of empty space. The friend remarked that she didn’t have the will power to leave so much breathing room in a composition. Have you ever felt that way? That you aren't brave enough to leave blank areas? Maybe you think blank means unfinished? Don't know when to stop? This month I'm giving you permission to stop early. Don't get me wrong, leaving space doe not necessarily equate to less time commitment. It takes just as much concentration to compose with space as it does to compose with clutter.

I made this page today. Influenced by the lyrics of Elton John's Tiny Dancer. I purposely intended to establish space. I couldn't visualize a page dedicated to this song any other way. On another day, with another song, I might fill every inch of the page.

I was at an art exhibit a few years ago and read an artist’s statement that said something to the effect of: be ruthless in what you take away. That made such an impression on me. For instance, with this page below from last summer, I became aware of all the elements I had within reach that were intended to use on a page, then observed that not every item had to be included. Editing my materials did not diminish my expression. Less clutter allowed for greater focus on the underlying texture, or the message, or the image. There are many pages in a journal. I can use a riot of color and pattern on another page, on another day.

I'm sure you'll agree there are pages that get our attention because they ARE busy and intricate and detailed. Our eye enjoys darting across the content absorbing all the information. It’s the investigator within us that likes to explore and uncover. These kinds of pages seem to reveal something new each time we look at them. But our eyes also enjoy a respite. A subtle page does not minimize impact; it offers calm and deeper layers of observation. A page with a little more space draws they eye to the efforts of color, texture, and intention. The breaks on the page do not have to be white to be considered space. See below.

As I was planning out this crusade I was noticing the contrast of busy vs. restrained everywhere. Here are some tear-outs from printed matter that illustrate my point:

So that's it! Make a journal page while practicing some restraint. Try on minimalism. Maybe you've already been doing that - show us one or a few in a new blog post and express how you feel about working that way. Taking on this challenge as a community helps us widen our perspective because what I show you is certainly not the singular way to do things. I love seeing how you interpret the prompt. We all learn from each other. As I've said, this will be the final crusade for a while. I'm not saying I'm concluding the challenges, just need some time away to reflect on the process and figure out if I want to revisit in a different format. Within the month I will be posting some historical trivia about the last 60 crusades so come by when you can....and once again, hope you'll come play.